23 September 2017 – 25 March 2018

A YOUNG JOURNALIST’S NOTEBOOK

Recommended for Ages 7 to 12 From the desk of Chief Editor of The Times

Dear Young Journalist,

Welcome to the National Museum of Singapore! It has been 75 years since Singapore fell to the Japanese army in 1942. The museum has launched a new exhibition, Witness to War: Remembering 1942, to tell the stories of people who lived through the fall of Singapore. There are also two other war-related exhibitions in the Museum.

Let’s go on a learning journey to discover and share these wartime stories with the readers of The Singapore Times! This notebook belongs to Use this notebook to gather information for your news article, and I look forward to seeing what you’ve learnt. All the best!

Parent’s/Teacher’s note: This booklet has been developed as a family activity guide for young audiences aged 7 to 12. Parents/ teachers are encouraged to guide children and students through the activities together. Questions, such as “If war were to come to Singapore, would you stay or evacuate from your home?”, are raised to facilitate group discussions about important topics. Chief Editor WITNESS TO WAR: REMEMBERING 1942 WITNESS TO WAR: REMEMBERING 1942 Navigation Navigation

Surviving Syonan Gallery Level 2

From Singapore to Syonan-to SINGAPORE HISTORY Gallery The Food Level 1 Entrance Situation in Singapore

How a Family Coped during Japanese Elizabeth the Occupation Ha-Go Tank Choy’s Story

Entrance Exit Witness to War: Remembering 1942 Basement the 25-pounder gun A CHILD’S PERSPECTIVE

Witnesses to War

the PACIFIC WAR

Entrance Exit Write a Letter

4 5 WITNESS TO WAR: REMEMBERING 1942 WITNESS TO WAR: REMEMBERING 1942 Museum Etiquette Location: Basement

This special international exhibition was launched to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the fall of Singapore. It features first-hand accounts from ordinary men and women who lived through the war.

Many of them were young people, just like yourself, 75 years ago! There are also many artefacts and items from overseas museums in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and more. Let’s look out for the trail markers and find out more about important historical objects in the galleries. Enter the gallery to find out more.

Singapore fell to the Japanese on 15 February 1942. It was described as the “worst disaster” by then-British Prime Minister, Listen to the sounds in the galleries. Winston Churchill. Singapore’s fall was among Britain’s worst What do you hear? How do you military defeats. feel? 1 the 25-pounder gun

The 25-pounder gun was a standard weapon used Take as many photographs as you would like, by British and Allied young reporters! Let’s remember to not use flash troops during World photography in the galleries. War Two.

25-pounder field gun, brass shell casings and ammunition box with shell holder Keep your voices low as you c1941–1945 share news and stories with each Collection of the National other. Walk, don’t run – let’s be Museum of Singapore, National Heritage Board considerate to other visitors.

Parent’s/Teacher’s note: This display involves a light and sound show, with the use of Most importantly, let’s explore with a curious mind strobe lighting. Please skip this activity if you, or your children, are and have fun together! sensitive to light.

6 7 WITNESS TO WAR: REMEMBERING 1942 WITNESS TO WAR: REMEMBERING 1942 Location: Basement Location: Basement

What do you think were the improvements made to the 25-pounder gun that made it a better weapon than the 18-pounder gun? Answer: – The 25-pounder gun had a longer barrel and hence had a longer Compare the two pictures below: can you spot firing range; the main differences? – The 25-pounder gun was more mobile as it could be moved by military tractors.

Parent’s/Teacher’s note: Parents/Teachers may wish to use this activity to prompt young audiences to think about the evolution of military technology in World War Two. In World War Two, both the Axis and Allied powers worked to create more advanced weapons, the most significant of which were the nuclear The 18-pounder gun, which was used in World War One. bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945.

The 25-pounder gun, which was used in World War Two, was an improvement over the 18-pounder gun. 8 9 WITNESS TO WAR: REMEMBERING 1942 WITNESS TO WAR: REMEMBERING 1942 Location: Basement Location: Basement

2 the PACIFIC WAR 8 March 1942 On 7 December 1941, war broke out across the Pacific Region, Answer: with Japanese military attacks on the United States naval base Burma (Rangoon/Yangon) at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Philippines and Malaya.

The map below shows the various places that the Japanese 25 December 1941 forces attacked. Fill in the names of the colonies that fell to the Japanese army. Answer: Hong Kong

Colony Date of Fall

Hong Kong 25 December 1941 6 May 1942 Answer: British North Borneo 19 January 1942 The Philippines

Singapore 15 February 1942

Burma (Rangoon/Yangon) 8 March 1942 19 January 1942 Answer: Dutch East Indies 12 March 1942 British North Borneo

The Philippines 6 May 1942

15 February 1942 Answer: Singapore

12 March 1942 Answer: Dutch East Indies

10 11 WITNESS TO WAR: REMEMBERING 1942 WITNESS TO WAR: REMEMBERING 1942 Location: Basement Location: Basement

Witnesses to War: Major-General 3 Stories of Ordinary People Major-General Lim Bo Seng is one of The curators of this exhibition interviewed war survivors, Singapore’s war heroes. Born in 1909 in veterans, and their families. There are 11 stories here. Explore the China, he arrived in Singapore at the age four pods – of 16. He was one of ’s leading members. He was captured by Japanese forces, tortured, and passed away in Prison in Malaya in 1944. For his Top image: Major-General Lim Bo Seng c1940s courage and leadership, he became a The Lim Leong Geok Collection, hero to the nation. courtesy of National Archives of – and see if you can find the two stories below! Singapore 19980002917-0085 His personal diary, containing entries Below image: from February to April 1942, is displayed Madam Leow Oon Geok & Dr Lim Whye Geok at the museum for the first time. Take a Lim Bo Seng’s Children Ubin Pakcik 2017 (Mr Ahmad Bin Kassim) look at it! National Museum of Singapore

Mr Ahmad Bin Kassim (Ubin What was the title of the book Which story was your Pakcik) grew up in a quiet village that Lim Bo Seng bought for his favourite? Why? kampong before the war struck. children? When the Japanese arrived at his Answer: Ask your parents, grandparents home, he escaped, with his family, Child’s Book of Famous Composers or teachers if they, too, have through the jungle. stories about World War Two Ahmad bin Kassim, 2017, to share with you! National Museum of Singapore Parent’s/Teacher’s note: Parents/Teachers may wish to use this opportunity to encourage young audiences How old was Ubin Pakcik in 1942? to communicate with their Answer: 7 Years Old own grandparents about the war. Learning about history first-hand from those who experienced it is the best Where did Ubin Pakcik and his family escape to after Japanese DID YOU KNOW? way to bring the past alive. soldiers arrived at his kampong? Force 136 was a special This could also be a great Answer: Pulau Ubin operations force formed opportunity for grandparents by the British to resist the and grandchildren to bond! Japanese in Malaya during 12 World War Two. 13 WITNESS TO WAR: REMEMBERING 1942 WITNESS TO WAR: REMEMBERING 1942 Location: Basement Location: Basement

A CHILD’S PERSPECTIVE How would you feel if you had to hide under this shelter? Crawl 4 A family activity space underneath to find out.

What was it like in Singapore during the war for young people like yourself? Step in to find out.

The first Japanese bombs hit There are things to discover Singapore in the early morning underneath the table! Press of 8 December 1941. the radio to hear what an air-raid siren sounded like. Take a look at the photograph on the wall.

Look for clues that tell you that Singapore was in danger:

Answer: Sandbags were also used to build air-raid 1) Smoke shelters. How do sandbags make an air- 2) Buildings on fire raid shelter better? Think of the cushion Answer: in your bicycle helmets! They help to absorb the shock from bombings.

TAKE SHELTER

Different types of air-raid shelters were built before the war. These shelters protected people from explosions and bombs. Some of them were built by children and their families. DID YOU KNOW? When the air-raid siren was sounded, people had to

Switch all the lights off (a) This is an example of an air- Close all the windows (b) raid shelter that was made out Hide in the nearest (c) of a table. air-raid shelter

National Museum of Singapore When the all-clear signal was sounded, 2017 people could then come out of their 14 shelters. 15 WITNESS TO WAR: REMEMBERING 1942 WITNESS TO WAR: REMEMBERING 1942 Location: Basement Location: Basement

AIR-RAID SHELTER WARTIME KITCHEN

In addition to air-raid shelters made out of tables, here are two It was difficult to find food during the war. other types of shelters that people built. Before the war reached Singapore, people were encouraged to grow vegetables in their home gardens. This was because the British foresaw that the war would disrupt transportation of food These were two types of air-raid to Singapore. shelters that people built. People also had to be resourceful and creative, and use whatever This air-raid shelter was built ingredients they could find to make dishes during the war! using bricks, for people living in Tiong Bahru. Lift the lids of the pots and pans to find out more.

Air-Raid Shelter, Tiong Bahru, Singapore 1940 What were some of the dishes people cooked during the war? Reproduction Draw them below! National Archives of Singapore, M Masson Collection 20150000001-0014

People also dug into the ground, near their houses, to create trench shelters to hide in. This photograph, taken in Brisbane, Australia, shows school children hiding in a trench shelter during an air- raid drill in 1942.

Brisbane Daylight Air-Raid Drill 1942 Parent’s/Teacher’s note: Reproduction Food for Thought, the restaurant on Level 1 of the National Argus Newspaper Collection of Photographs, State Library of Museum, is serving some re-invented wartime recipes on a special Victoria Turn to the last page menu. Bring your children and students there to taste some of H99.201/4079 to make your these dishes! own air-raid shelter 16 17 WITNESS TO WAR: REMEMBERING 1942 WITNESS TO WAR: REMEMBERING 1942 Location: Basement Location: Basement

Pick 5 items that you would pack in your emergency bag if you had to leave your house. Why did you pick them? Ask your parents what they would pick!

STAY or RUN

Family photo It was no longer safe for families to stay in their homes, as more air raids happened and destroyed houses.

Many families packed up quickly and moved to another place to stay for their safety.

If war were to come to Singapore today, would you stay in your home, or run to another place for safety? Would you run to another country? Why or why not? Share your decision with your parents and teachers. Pillow My diary Clothes Tell us about your decision using the box on the wall!

Parent’s/Teacher’s note: Parents/Teachers may wish to use this as an opportunity to ask young audiences about the thought process behind their decision.

Blanket Food Toys

18 19 WITNESS TO WAR: REMEMBERING 1942 Location: Basement

THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS 5 Write a Letter The fighting stretched on till 15 February 1942. Find this letter in the “Looking Ahead” zone in the exhibition gallery. Children could not go to school because it was no longer safe. Some of their homes were destroyed and they had to run to Write a letter to a war survivor or their families, telling them another house. how you felt after reading their stories!

How did children feel about the war? Match the quote to the Drop it into the letter box, and the National Museum will deliver person who said it. your letters to these seniors or their families.

You could see certain Barara parts of Singapore Clunies-Ross, burning… I remember 15 my mother crying.

The news of the surrender strangely Tan Ban Cheng, enough made us quite 13 happy… we hoped for a normal life.

I wasn’t sure what was Florence going to happen to me… Soundra Raj, we were petrified. 8 Parent’s/Teacher’s note: Young audiences could also take the letters home and write them to their grandparents, if their grandparents had previously shared any war-related stories with them.

20 21 SYONAN-TO SYONAN-TO Location: Singapore History Gallery, Level 1 Location: Singapore History Gallery, Level 1

2 ELIZABETH CHOY’S STORY

Welcome to the Singapore History Gallery. Elizabeth Choy, together with her husband, helped internees in Miyako (Woodbridge) Hospital pass items and messages to After the British surrendered to the Japanese on 15 February prisoners-of-war in Changi. The husband and wife pair were 1942, Singapore was placed under military occupation and arrested by the Japanese Kempeitai (secret police), and held renamed Syonan-To, which means “Light of the South” in at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) building at Japanese. Orchard Road for 200 days.

Step inside to discover the military weaponry used by Japanese Read more about her story in the exhibition. troops, and hear the story of Elizabeth Choy, one of Singapore’s war heroes.

1 The Japanese Ha-Go Tank The Type 95 Ha-Go was the most common Japanese tank used in World War Two.

This exhibit in the Singapore History Gallery was one of four that were constructed for Tom Hanks’ and Steven Spielberg’s “It was a nightmare. I cannot believe television mini-series, The Pacific (2010). it happened. It was 200 days of starvation, torture, without a comb, toothbrush… What saved me were my When was this tank prayers and faith in God.”– Elizabeth Choy introduced?

Answer: 1935

Source: “Choy’s Remarkable Life on Show”, The Straits Times, 1 November 1997, p. 3. Elizabeth Choy, June 1953 What is the brand of its Collection of the National Museum of diesel engine? Singapore, National Heritage Board 1992-02-17 Answer: Mitsubishi

Parent’s/Teacher’s note: A Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go light tank halted by Parents/Teachers could use the example of Elizabeth Choy’s Australian anti-tank fire in Malaya. Courtesy of the Australian War Memorial ordeal to ask students what lessons they could learn from her 011298 courage and resilience.

22 23 SYONAN-TO SURVIVING SYONAN Location: Singapore History Gallery, Level 1 Location: Life in Singapore galleries, Level 2

This exhibition gallery shows how the people of Singapore coped with daily life during the Japanese Occupation: a period where food was scarce and people faced many difficulties.

Fill in the crossword puzzle below:

1 FROM SINGAPORE TO SYONAN-TO How did Singapore change with its fall?

Singapore before the Singapore during the Japanese Occupation Japanese Occupation 2. Y 1. Identity: K E M P E I T A I Shonan Times (which became The Syonan Shimbun)

C Flag: 3. 2 0 0 D A Y S Union Jack

Anthem:

Papers: The Straits Times Banana money 1. The Japanese secret police

2. The building where Elizabeth Choy was held Date: 3. The number of days she was held for

Currency:

Straits currency

24 25 SURVIVING SYONAN SURVIVING SYONAN Location: Singapore History Gallery, Level 1 Location: Life in Singapore galleries, Level 2

2 THE FOOD SITUATION IN SINGAPORE

NIPPON-GO

Students returned to schools in April 1942 and they found that they had to learn a new language – Nippon-Go (“Japanese language” in Japanese).

Use the cubes to match the Chinese characters to the new Japanese words that students had to learn:

Answer:

a shi ta Painting of food rationing during the Japanese Occupation Collection of the National Museum of Singapore, National Heritage Board meaning: 2000-01479 tomorrow The National Museum of Singapore, despite all reasonable efforts, has been unable to trace/identify the copyright owners of this image. It invites the rightful owners to make contact.

What is shown in this painting? f o o d r a t i o n i n g sen ta ku In the image above, figure out who is distributing the rice, and meaning: to wash clothes who is collecting it!

If food rationing were to happen today, what do you think the people of Singapore can do to help each other?

Parent’s/Teacher’s note: Parent’s/Teacher’s note: Parents/Teachers could ask young audiences about how they This is an open-ended question. would feel if they had to learn a new language in school.

26 27 SURVIVING SYONAN SURVIVING SYONAN Location: Singapore History Gallery, Level 1 Location: Life in Singapore galleries, Level 2

How a Family Coped During the 3 Occupation

Look for this family photograph under the section “War is Bad for Your Health”, and gather information on the main character. Complete the maze below to help this child find her way to the rice ration. In the photograph below, label what each family member worked as during the occupation: 2

1 3

Family portrait, late 1940s Collection of the National Museum of Name: Wu Sijing Singapore, National Heritage Board Real name 2002-00865 Ng Soo Lui

Born / Country of Birth 1 Sijing worked in: 1934 / Singapore a tobacco shop, shredding tobacco leaves Father’s Occupation And on the streets, peddling red bean soup and coconut cake Chinese physician 2 Sijing’s younger sister worked in: a tobacco shop, shredding tobacco leaves 3 Sijing’s elder brother worked in: 28 29 a machinery factory SURVIVING SYONAN Location: Singapore History Gallery, Level 1

A1 B1

Sijing and her siblings worked to supplement their family’s income, even though they were children. What are two lessons which you can learn from Sijing and her siblings? A2 B2

Parent’s/Teacher’s note: These are open-ended questions. Parents could suggest answers like “a can-do spirit”, or “resilience”. Parents could also perhaps start conversations with their children, about the ways in which they could help their family through difficult times.

A2 B2

You have reached the end of the Young Journalist’s Trail. Congratulations! We hope you had fun at the National Museum of Singapore today. A1 B1 An institution of Supported by